By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The Lonoke Lady Jackrabbits held a lead after three innings, but the Beebe Lady Badgers came back for a 6-3-nonconference victory last Wednesday at Beebe High School.
The Lady Badgers got on the board first with two runs in the bottom of the opening inning. Katlyn Gordon singled to start things off and Baylee Halford walked. Aleighu Porterfield then singled to load the bases for Haley Dinapoli, who doubled to left field to drive in two runs.
Lonoke got both runs back in the top of the second. Senior Jarrelyn McCall hit a leadoff double to left field, and advanced to third on a one-out base hit by Candace James. James went to second and McCall scored when the throw-in from right field went astray.
Madison Crow then singled to left to put runners on the corners with one out. Trinity Foley then hit a sacrifice fly that scored Madison McFadden, who was courtesy running for James, to tie the game.
Lonoke pitcher Maddie Poole retired Beebe in order in the bottom of the second inning, and Lonoke took the lead in the top of the third.
Abby Kyzer and Molly Harrison hit back-to-back singles to start the third frame. Mary Sumner grounded out to first base, but advanced the base runners. Pool then singled to score Kyzer and leave runners on the corners with one out, but the next two batters popped up and struck out to end the inning.
Beebe went down in order again in the bottom of the third, but scored two runs to reclaim the lead in the fourth.
Shanie Young became Beebe’s first base runner in three innings when she drew a leadoff walk from relief pitcher Foley. Tailor Kimbriel entered to run for Young, and moved to second when Caelyn Longing walked on four pitches.
Paige Sharp drew a third, and Hannah Crafton drew a fourth-straight walk, with Crafton’s pass scoring Kimbriel to tie the game.
Gracie Mason took the mound for Lonoke and got Gordon to fly out to shallow left field and Longing scored on the sacrifice. Halford then singled with a perfectly-placed bunt that scored Sharp and gave Beebe the lead.
Porterfield then hit one back to the pitcher that got Crafton thrown out at home, but left the bases loaded with two outs. Mason then fanned Dinapoli to get out of the jam trailing by just two runs.
The Lady Jackrabbits failed to capitalize on getting their first two batters on base in the top of the fifth. Kyzer singled and Harrison reached on an error with no outs. Kyzer was then caught stealing third before Sumner and Mason struck out.
Beebe got a leadoff double by Dinapoli in the fifth but left her stranded. Lonoke went down in order in the top of the sixth and Beebe added the final run in the bottom half.
Kimbriel hit for Crafton and tripled down the first baseline. She later scored on a wild pitch to set the final margin.
Crow and Kyzer led Lonoke with two hits apiece. The Lady Jackrabbits got nine hits to Beebe’s eight. Porterfield and Dinapoli each went 2 for 4, and Dinapoli drove in two runs with her two doubles.
Pool gave up three hits and two earned runs in her three innings of work for Lonoke. She struck out three and walked one. Foley failed to record an out after four batters. Mason threw the last three innings, giving up five hits and one earned run while striking out two and walking none.
Faith Rose threw all seven innings for Beebe. She gave up nine hits while striking out 10 Lady Jackrabbits, walking none and giving up two earned runs.
